The Democratic advocate. [volume] (Westminster, Md.) 1865-1972, 1887-11-19

1
strnments at their command
At last one day, when the sky was clear
blue aud the sun was warm, learned from
the preparations that Janet and Daisy were
making in the garden that NANNY was
going to venture out.
"Well put the chair here, Janet, just
under these yellow roses. nox the footstool
for her precious feet, and the shawl and a
sunshade; there now, l shall go and fetch
her."
In couple of minutes Daisy returned
escorting her NANNY" to the place she
had arranged close to where sat on the
other side of the wall. What did do, do
you think? Why, 1 actually put out my
pipe, lest the tobacco should drive them
away and l should lose my chance of max
ing the acquaintance of Daisy's mother
over the garden wall
"See, darling" said Daisy, "this is the
rose tree | told you about, and he cut me
off the bud from there, just by that snail
shell on the wall. Oh, nanny wasn't it
funny? 1t startled me so. was watch
ing the sunshine on the roses and thinking
that if were only tall enough to reach,
and if it wasn't wicked to steal things, I'd
take one to smell and to give you, when
up popped a pair of scissors, which shipped
off the very incest bud there was, and the
cross man cried out: There's rose for
you, Miss Daisy"
Then faint voice asked "Did you
thank him, Daisy?"
"Oh, yes, nanny, called out Thank
you, cross man.
"Daisy, did you say that ?"
"Why not, darling? You know he is a
cross old man; but 1 won't say it again if
you don't Ike me to. Only I've rather
got into the way. Now, nanny, spose
you're too tired to tell me a story to-day,
aren't you?"
This last was in very coaxing voice.
"I'm afraid I'm not up to much talking
Daisy; but suppose you tell me story in
stead. You ike that quite as we'll"
"Not quite, mamma. Let me see. III
tell you my favorite, which should have
asked for if ysu could have told me one
because it's so long since you have been
able to tell it to me, and Janet doesn'
know it. mean about when you were Q
little girl"
And this is the story that Daisy told
and to which l, who had such lofty scorn
for neighborly curiosity, listened with eager
ears and ever increasing interest.
"When you were little girl, long before
there was me, you lived With your father
and mother in the country by the sea.
Like me, you had no brothers or sisters to
play with. You had only one doll, and you
were not SO very fond of that, because you
didn't think she understood what you said
to her. Dear me, nanny, what a pity
she was such stupid doll But you had
some dear little bantams, which used to
come and eat out of your hand and perch
on your shoulder. 1t was very nice living
in the country, much nicer than when
we lived in Brussels or in that nasty hotel
where you were i'll, for yol had a bew'ful
big garden to run about in, and where you
could gather flowers for your mother; and
then you could go down to the sea and pick
up nelians and seaweed, and dabble in the
water and see the big ships and the little
ships. And many birds used to sing by
the sea on the cliffs, and the rabbits used
to run about among the yellow gorse, and
you used to clap your hands to make them
run faster"
My newspaper had dropped from my
hands; my heart was beating with long-for
gotten eagerness. By what wonderful
witchcraft had this child found and read
the record of my old memories, that she
should prattle them out like this in her gay
shrill voice? In and out of my sacred
places she went at will, perfectly familiar
with each and all. She went on:
"Then your dear mother fell i'll, and she
died very soon, and you couldn't have her
any longer, COS the angels wanted her. I
hope they'll never want you, my darling,
for l couldn't spare you. You were left
alone with your father, and he was dref-
fully sorry, and so were you. Oh, nanny!
how dull it must have been without her.
However didyou manage? Who heard you
say your prayers and tucked you up in bed?
and who told you to be good when you felt
naughty? and who gave you your physic
when you had to take it? l couldn't pos
sibly take physic without you. Tell me
how you did, nanny?
And, as Daisy's little pleading voice
ceased, 1 listened for the answer with eager
ears.
"I. don't think | missed my mother so
much as you would miss me, my darling"
spoke voice that thrilled my every nerve
as it grew little stronger and clearer.
"My father was so good to me. He was
father and mother in one, while you, my
poor little Daisy, never saw your father"
$50 on, nanny, go on, you're able to
talk now. Do talk about your father to
me, and about all you used to dc"
"Do you want to hear again, my child,
about the tall yellow flowers that came out
among the grass under the trees, and the
pale primroses in the hedges, SO large and
soft, and the bluebells and anemones in
the woods, and how the bees used to work
all the long warm days in and out of their
hives by the medlar tree? 1t was such an
old, old medlar tree, and it had been
trained to grow down to the ground, and 1
used TO climb among the low branches. "
$50 on, nanny, 60 on; tell me all you
member, it's SO long since we had it all
over"
And amammy' went on, and each time
she paused Daisy pleaded for more, and
each word she spoke made the wonderful
truth more clear to me that only nine
inch brick wall separated me from my lost
Margaret, and that she was lonely and sick
and sad.
"And then, nanny" said the child at
last, ''you went away and left that pretty
home"
''Yes, my darling, when I was big girl,
and ought to have loved my dear father too
much to give him one moments pain, went
away and left him without even saying
goodbye to him."
al 'spose you didn't want to see how
sorry he'd look" suggested Daisy consol-
ingly.
''rm afraid it wasn't that, Daisy. I'm
afraid didn't think about him at all when
your papa and went and left him all
alone"
"Dear me! dear mel" said Daisy, thought